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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29083593">Still the One</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KejfeBlintz/pseuds/KejfeBlintz'>KejfeBlintz</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Affection, Ambiguous Relationships, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, De-Serumed Steve Rogers, Fluff and Angst, Lack of Communication, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Protective Bucky Barnes, Relationship Negotiation, The boys are a bit sweary, not stuckony, only a Bit of angst though</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:09:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,462</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29083593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KejfeBlintz/pseuds/KejfeBlintz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve gets de-serumed during a battle and it leaves him having to renegotiate his relationships with Bucky and Tony.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Still the One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This...is not the fic I set out to write. Tony took over. I'm not sorry.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re avoiding me,” Steve said from the doorway, making Tony jump.<br/>
“Not avoiding you Capsicle, just busy,” Tony replied without so much as a glance over his shoulder.<br/>
“Bullshit,” Steve said easily, stepping closer. “You’re avoiding me and I want to know why.”<br/>
Tony gripped the edge of the workbench and angled himself away from Steve’s approach. “Thanks for stopping by, you know the way out,” Steve hated Tony’s fake press voice, especially when it was directed at him.<br/>
“You won’t even look at me, will you?” Steve asked, stepping closer. Tony didn’t move further away but it looked like it pained him to stand still.<br/>
“I know what you look like Cap, don’t need a reminder,” Tony said, false cheer audible.<br/>
“And you haven’t called me Steve once since this happened,” Steve continued, determined to push. “You know what’s funny? Now I’m like this,” Steve gestured at himself despite Tony’s lack of attention, “Bucky can’t keep his hands offa me but you won’t even look at me. Total opposite from when I’m big. Guy could get a complex.”<br/>
“What are you wasting your time down here for then? Could be upstairs getting up close and personal with Terminator,” Tony replied.<br/>
Steve sighed. “Tony, would ya look at me? Please?” Tony shook his head. “Why not?”<br/>
There was a beat of silence, just long enough for Steve to think he wasn’t going to get an answer.<br/>
“I can’t,” Tony all but whispered.<br/>
“You can. Just gotta turn around and here I am,” Steve replied just as quietly.<br/>
“It’s my fault,” Tony said, just loud enough for Steve to catch with his good ear.<br/>
“Is that why you’re hiding down here? You think I blame you?” Steve asked incredulously. “How is this possibly your fault, you egomaniac?”<br/>
“I should have been quicker, should have figured out what that ray would do before it got to you.”<br/>
Steve sighed. “You know, for a genius, you’re an idiot, Tony Stark.” Tony huffed. “You are. There’s no way that any of this is even slightly your fault. Even you can’t reverse engineer a weapon in a split second in the middle of a battle.”<br/>
Tony was silent, tension rolling off him in waves.<br/>
“I don’t blame you, Tony, you’re not responsible for this.” Steve stepped as close as he dared, itching to reach out and touch Tony but unsure of his welcome. “I miss my friend. Will you please look at me?” he asked quietly.<br/>
He watched Tony visibly marshal himself and take a deep breath before slowly turning around, keeping his eyes firmly on the floor. After a beat, Tony let his gaze move up all 5’4” of Steve’s de-serumed body. Steve watched as he lingered on his crooked posture, the way his clothes hung off his skinny frame until they settled uneasily on his face.<br/>
Steve smiled softly at him. “Hey, there you are.”<br/>
Tony took a shaky breath, “I’m so sorry, Steve.”<br/>
Steve risked a step closer, gratified when Tony didn’t step back. “What are you sorry for?”<br/>
“That you’re going through this, that I couldn’t stop it, that I can’t fix it,” Tony replied.<br/>
“Still not your fault,” Steve reassured him. “Can’t say I’m pleased about being small again, but it’s not like I’m not used to it. I don’t blame you, Tony, nobody does.”<br/>
“You should,” Tony replied in a small voice.<br/>
“Nope, not gonna,” Steve said with a shrug. “What I'm gonna do though is make you come upstairs with me for food and a shower. I mean this with the utmost love and affection, but Tony you stink.”<br/>
That got the tiniest hint of a smirk out of Tony. “Oh you’re gonna make me, are you, Brooklyn?” he challenged, “Just how are you planning on doing that now you can’t sling me over your shoulder?”<br/>
Steve turned his most pitiful puppy dog eyed pout on Tony.<br/>
“Bucky wasn’t kidding about that look at all,” Tony grumbled. “Fine, but don’t expect me to be happy about it.”<br/>
Steve’s pout was immediately replaced with a happy grin. “I don’t care how much you grumble as long as you no longer smell like a dumpster, jeez.”<br/>
“Anyone ever told you that you’re a manipulative little shit, Rogers?” Tony groused, following Steve out of the workshop towards the elevators.</p><p>Bruce and Natasha were serving dinner just as Tony, freshly showered, wandered into the communal kitchen.<br/>
“It’s alive!” Clint crowed as Tony made his way over to the table.<br/>
“You’re hilarious,” Tony said with an eye roll, shoving Clint playfully.<br/>
“I am,” Clint agreed, dropping down into the seat beside Bucky who barely spared him a glance as he counted out a handful of pills.<br/>
Steve took an overdramatic sniff as Tony got closer. “Definite improvement, less dumpstery.”<br/>
“Comedians, the lot of you,” Tony groused, sitting down beside Steve who just grinned at him.<br/>
“Here Stevie, you need to take these before you eat,” Bucky nudged Steve and handed him the pills he’d been counting out. Steve scowled at him but obediently swallowed them down with a couple of mouthfuls of juice.<br/>
Sensing Tony’s eyes on him, Steve glanced at him and shrugged. “Marvels of modern medicine,” he said, reaching for a bread roll only to have his hand slapped away by Bucky.<br/>
“What the-, Buck!”<br/>
“You can’t have bread, dumbass. Weren’t you listening to the nutritionist? It’s got gluten in it,” Buck growled at him. Steve subsided with a scowl.<br/>
“Here Steve, this is the gluten-free stuff you can have,” Bruce said, passing Steve a plate of sliced bread. Steve took the plate with a muttered thanks.<br/>
“No gluten, huh?” Tony asked.<br/>
Steve’s scowl deepened. “Nope, or dairy, eggs or soya apparently.”<br/>
“That happen last time?” Tony asked.<br/>
“Didn’t have food intolerances in the Depression, we just got sick,” Steve grumbled, accepting the plate of food Bucky handed him with another scowl. “I can make my own plate, Buck.”<br/>
“Shut up and eat your dinner, punk,” Bucky responded.<br/>
Dinner progressed in the usual chaotic fashion and it didn’t take long for the plates and platters to be clear. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Bucky pass Steve another handful of pills to take.<br/>
“OK, how the hell did you stay alive long enough to actually get the serum?” Tony couldn’t help blurt out.<br/>
Steve stopped mid-swig of juice and pointed to Bucky. “Him, mostly.”<br/>
“That, and you’re a stubborn bastard,” Buck agreed, ruffling Steve’s hair and making him squawk in protest.</p><p>They all settled in the living room, scattered around on sofas and armchairs, and in Clint’s case, the floor. Tony sat on a sofa with Steve and Bucky as JARVIS switched on the TV, not missing Bucky hooking an arm around Steve’s waist and hauling him close. Steve went without complaint but shot a look at Tony as if to say ‘see, told you’. Steve’s comment in the workshop earlier about Bucky not being able to keep his hands off Steve seemed to be true. It wasn’t that Bucky was normally standoffish when it came to touching Steve, they were a tactile bunch in general, but he didn’t seek out contact and often shied away from Steve’s more exuberant hugs. Tony knew they’d been physically affectionate pre-war and Steve had confided in Tony that he didn’t think Bucky felt comfortable around his post-serum body. Tony had brushed off his concern at the time but it looked like Steve might have been right. </p><p>Halfway through the movie, Clint said something that had them all howling with laughter. He was looking very pleased with himself when Tony became aware of a strange gasping sound from beside him and the air in the room suddenly becoming tense. He looked over to see Steve gasping for breath, clawing at his chest and he shuddered to breathe. Bucky scooped him up and set him on his lap so they were facing each other, pressing one hand against Steve’s chest as he fished an inhaler out of Steve’s pocket with the other.<br/>
“Here Stevie, big breath in just like the nurse showed us,” Bucky said, pushing the inhaler into Steve’s mouth. Steve took hold of it and took a breath as he pushed the canister down.<br/>
“That’s it, just like that, nice and easy,” Buck crooned quietly, rubbing large circles on Steve’s back with one hand and supporting his chest with the other. Gradually Steve got his breathing back under control and he slumped forward onto Bucky’s chest. Bucky took his inhaler from him and tucked it back into Steve’s pocket then drew him close to rest chest to chest in his lap. Steve tucked his face into Bucky’s neck and gripped his shirt tightly, clearly spooked.<br/>
“Well that was fun,” Tony quipped after a moment.<br/>
Bucky just glared at him. They turned their attention back to the movie, more subdued than before. </p><p>Twenty minutes later Steve took a deep breath and slid off Bucky’s lap back onto the sofa where he'd sat before his asthma attack, still leaning heavily on Bucky and cuddling into the arm Bucky tucked around him. Tony caught his eye and shot him a questioning look. Steve nodded and they settled back to finish watching the movie.</p><p>Tony tugged off his tie as he stomped into the living room, tired and grumpy after a day of meetings and a press conference for SI. He made a beeline for the sofa where Steve was sitting sketching and dropped down onto it in an inelegant heap.<br/>
“Bad day?” Steve asked, glancing up from his sketchbook.<br/>
“The worst.”<br/>
Tony caught himself as he was about to swing his feet up and into Steve’s lap. Steve was always good for a foot rub or a hug when Tony had a bad day but he was wary of hurting Steve now he wasn’t the size of a mountain. Steve noticed his aborted movement.<br/>
“You want a foot rub?” he asked, setting aside his sketchbook. Tony hesitated. “You’re not going to hurt me if you put your feet in my lap, Tony,” Steve huffed. “A foot rub won’t give me an asthma attack.”<br/>
Tony hesitated again and Steve shot him an unimpressed look so he toed off his shoes and swung his legs onto the sofa. Steve tugged his feet into his lap and peeled off his socks, wrapping his hands around Tony’s foot and starting up a massage which had Tony melting into the sofa cushions within minutes.<br/>
“Where’s your shadow?” Tony asked after a little while.<br/>
“Nat took him to the gym to spar so I wouldn’t be tempted to shove him out of a window,” Steve replied easily.<br/>
Tony quirked an eyebrow at him. “You want me to get you a prettier nurse? ‘Cause I can do that. Can’t be much fun staring at his ugly mug 24/7.”<br/>
“Don’t need a nurse,” Steve grumbled, pressing a little too hard on a pressure point and making Tony yelp. “Sorry. Just sick of being treated like I’m made of glass is all.”<br/>
“He’s worried,” Tony replied, “We all are, and we weren’t there the first time around.”<br/>
“I know,” Steve sighed. They were quiet for a few minutes.<br/>
“Hey,” Tony nudged Steve in the stomach with the foot that wasn’t being massaged. Steve looked up at him. “Want to lay with me for a bit?” he asked.<br/>
“Only if you take your suit off,” Steve replied, then immediately blushed. “That’s not what I meant.”<br/>
Tony was already grinning at him, “I always knew you wanted a piece of this fine ass. Come on, hotshot, let me rock your world.”<br/>
“I just meant that suits aren’t comfortable for laying around in,” Steve grumbled, still bright red, shoving Tony’s feet off his lap and standing up.<br/>
“Yeah yeah, whatever you say, Romeo.”</p><p>Neither of them could remember when this routine had started, but spending time quietly laid together had become a valued part of their friendship. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they watched movies or listened to music, sometimes, particularly after a hard battle, they were content to just lie together and listen to each other breathe. It had been two weeks since the battle where Steve had been hit by what Clint was calling the shrink ray and Tony had missed their easy intimacy more than he was willing to admit. He still felt guilty over not being fast enough to protect Steve, and of his failure to capture and study the weapon that had done this, and he was warier than ever of hurting Steve accidentally, but he was trying to put all that behind him. Steve trailed after him to his bedroom and settled onto the bed while Tony changed out of his suit and into sweatpants and a well-worn t-shirt. He crawled onto the bed and flopped down beside Steve, who immediately rolled over and curled into him. Tony wrapped his arms around him and let him cuddle close.<br/>
“Missed you,” Steve mumbled into his shoulder.<br/>
“Missed you too. Sorry I’ve been weird.” Tony replied.<br/>
Steve huffed a laugh into his neck. “You’re always weird.”<br/>
“Brat,” Tony cuffed him gently around the back of his head then smoothed the hair down in apology. “I thought staying away from you would be better for everyone, that you’d be better off without me in the way.”<br/>
“Idiot,” Steve said, squirming closer to octopus himself around Tony.<br/>
Tony ran his hands down Steve’s back, gently exploring the new shapes under his hands.<br/>
“How are you? Really?” he asked after a few minutes of quiet.<br/>
Steve sighed. “Really? Pretty awful.” Tony hummed in encouragement. “I can’t eat anything interesting, I can’t breathe easily, I’m half-deaf, and I’m pretty much in constant pain, I can feel my heart beating out of time and I have to take so much medication that I’m surprised that I don’t rattle when I walk.”<br/>
“Oh honey,” Tony breathed out.<br/>
“I’d forgotten what this was like and I have no idea how I managed to get through every day before the serum made me into Captain America.”<br/>
Tony rolled onto his side and drew Steve as close as he could, wrapping him up in a tangle of limbs.<br/>
“I hate this,” Steve whispered into his neck.<br/>
“We’ll fix it, I promise. Hank and Bruce are working as hard as they can to find a way to reverse this. I’m sorry I can’t fix it for you,” Tony said, tangling his fingers in Steve’s hair.<br/>
Steve’s breathing became ragged and Tony was about to start panicking but then he felt tears dampening his collar. Tony held Steve close as he cried out his frustration.</p><p>“Talk to me about Bucky,” Tony said later when Steve’s tears had dried and he’d settled quietly in his arms.<br/>
“He’s scared for me again,” Steve replied with a sigh. “He spent our whole lives until he came back scared for me, and now he has to do it all over again.”<br/>
“He loves you, of course he’s scared.”<br/>
There was quiet for a few moments. “I think he’s kind of enjoying having me small again,” Steve admitted.<br/>
“Well, pocket-sized you is pretty adorable,” Tony replied with an affectionate squeeze.<br/>
Steve huffed into his neck but didn’t bother trying to argue. “He touches me all the time now like he did before,” he said instead.<br/>
“Yeah, I noticed that,” Tony agreed.<br/>
“He doesn’t like my Captain America body,” Steve said quietly.<br/>
Tony was silent for a minute while he worked out what he wanted to say. “I think maybe he’s intimidated by you when you have the serum. I don’t think it’s you he doesn’t like sweetheart, I think it's what the serum represents and what had to happen for you to be healthy. He didn’t really have much of a chance to get used to you being the peak of physical perfection before, well, everything, did he?”<br/>
Steve shook his head.<br/>
“I was nervous of you in this form because it’s unfamiliar and it took a pretty traumatic event to turn you into this. I think Bucky might be feeling the same about your post-serum body.”<br/>
Steve hummed non-committally into his neck and they lapsed into silence, eventually drifting off to sleep.</p><p>They were woken abruptly by the alarm going off. Tony launched out of bed and was striding towards the elevator when Steve caught up with him.<br/>
“What have we got, JARVIS?” Steve asked.<br/>
“There seems to be an aerial assault on the Statue of Liberty, Captain. Unknown assailants.” JARVIS responded, taking them to the landing pad without orders. The doors slid open and Steve followed Tony out.<br/>
Tony spun on his heel and held Steve back with a hand to his chest. “Nope, you’re staying here,” he ordered.<br/>
“You need me out there,” Steve snapped.<br/>
“You can’t even lift the shield Steve, there’s no way in hell I’m letting you go out there,” Tony snapped back.<br/>
“I’m more than the shield and you know it,” Steve roared back, breaking off to cough.<br/>
Tony moved Steve to one side as Clint and Natasha raced past to gear up. “You are, which is why you’re staying here to provide tactical support.”<br/>
“I can provide tactical support from the ground,” Steve argued, a little breathlessly.<br/>
Tony glanced up to see Bucky determinedly making his way across the hanger to them. He cupped the back of Steve’s neck and drew him close, resting their foreheads together. Steve subsided under his touch.<br/>
“You are more than the shield. You are more than the serum. But you’re staying here and providing support from somewhere safe until you can get through an argument without gasping for breath,” Tony said firmly.<br/>
Steve sighed. “I don’t like you out there without me.”<br/>
“I know, but I won’t be able to focus if I can’t be sure that you’re safe.”<br/>
Steve pushed close for a moment but then stepped back so he could look up at Tony. “Fine.”<br/>
“Thank you. JARVIS’ll connect you to comms from the workshop,” Tony said, pressing a firm kiss to Steve’s forehead before striding through the hanger, his armour forming around him as he did so.<br/>
Bucky reached Steve before he could get back into the elevator, dragged him into a quick hug. “See you when I get home, kid,” he murmured.<br/>
“Don’t be an idiot,” Steve warned, glaring as Bucky stepped back and gave him a jaunty salute.<br/>
Steve watched the jet take off then headed down to the workshop to join in on comms.</p><p>As it turned out, it was a relatively straightforward skirmish by Avengers standards and, apart from Clint somehow scratching his arm, everyone was back in the Tower in one piece not two hours later. Steve met them in the hanger, yelping when Bucky strode off the jet and immediately scooped him up into his arms.<br/>
“I’m fine jerk, put me down,” Steve squirmed ineffectually in Bucky’s embrace.<br/>
“Nope, you’re coming with me,” replied Bucky, moving towards the elevators.<br/>
“Only if you’re going to the conference room, we need to debrief,” Steve panted out, still trying to get his feet back on the ground.<br/>
“What’s with the caveman routine, Buckaroo?” Tony asked as the elevator doors opened, the rest of the team following Bucky in.<br/>
“Steve needs to rest,” Bucky snarled, “Get out.”<br/>
“Nope, my tower, my elevator. And while we’re on the subject, my captain. He looks fine to me,” Tony replied.<br/>
“Can you not talk about me like I’m not here?” Steve said. “Buck, for god’s sake, put me down!” With a mighty squirm, Steve finally got his feet on the ground and glared at Buck. “We’re going to the conference room where we’ll debrief that mission, then you and I are going to have a conversation.”<br/>
Bucky looked defiant for a moment but then registered the expression on Steve’s face and settled into a sheepish scowl. Tony caught Steve’s eye and raised a questioning eyebrow. Steve rolled his eyes in response and ignored everyone until they were settled around the conference table where he began the debrief.</p><p>Steve slumped onto a stool beside Tony’s workbench later.<br/>
“Everything OK?” Tony asked him, glancing up from the hologram he was working with to gauge Steve’s mood.<br/>
“Yeah,” Steve replied, fiddling with a piece of wire. “Just had to remind Buck about boundaries and personal autonomy.”<br/>
“How’d he take that?”<br/>
“Well you’re probably going to get a bill for new reinforced punch bags, but he’ll get over it,” Steve said with a shrug. They were quiet for a while as Tony worked. “The three of us probably need a conversation once he’s calmed down.”<br/>
“What about?” Tony asked distractedly.<br/>
“He’s territorial over me, think he’s feeling challenged by how close you and I are and this situation has pushed him over the edge,” Steve said with a sigh. “The two of you didn’t exactly have the best start.”<br/>
Tony stilled. “I can back off. You guys’ve got 70 years to catch up on.”<br/>
“That’s not what I want,” Steve reached out and rested his hand on Tony’s arm. “You and I didn’t have the best start either but we got through it. I’d just like it if my two favourite people could tolerate each other occasionally.”<br/>
Tony turned to face Steve, dislodging his hand as he did so. “I can tolerate him. Hell, I’ve got to the point where I actually like the guy, time’s a great healer and all that.” Steve hummed, then failed to suppress a wince. “OK?” Tony asked.<br/>
“Yeah, back’s twinging.”<br/>
“Where are your pain pills?” Tony asked, standing up from his slouch against the workbench.<br/>
“Can’t take any yet, too early. I’ll be fine, Tony,” Steve said.<br/>
“Come on, let’s go upstairs and get your heat pad.”<br/>
Steve stood up and followed Tony to the elevator, leaning tiredly into his side when Tony dropped an arm around his shoulders.</p><p>Steve was resting against Tony on the sofa, heat pad wrapped around his back and his feet in Clint’s lap as the three of them watched TV. Bruce stepped off the elevator and made his way over.<br/>
“Hey Brucie-bear, how are you getting on?” Tony asked as Bruce perched on the edge of the coffee table.<br/>
“I have cautiously good news,” Bruce said, immediately getting everyone’s attention. “We might have found a way to reverse the ray’s effects.”<br/>
Steve sat up, knocking the heat pad loose. “Really?” he asked.<br/>
Bruce held up his hand. “Possibly. We need to test it thoroughly before I let you anywhere near it, but yes.”<br/>
“What kind of timescale are we looking at, Doc?” Tony asked.<br/>
“Another week maybe? Depending on how the testing stage goes,” Bruce replied.<br/>
“Think you can handle another week as a pipsqueak, Cap?” Tony nudged Steve gently.<br/>
Steve just nodded and turned to Bruce. “Thanks, Bruce, really.”<br/>
“Don’t thank me yet, we don’t know if it’s going to work.”<br/>
“It’ll work string bean, it’s got the second greatest mind of our generation working on it. And Hank,” Tony replied, squeezing Bruce’s shoulder affectionately.<br/>
“I need to talk to Bucky,” Steve said, struggling to get off the couch. Clint gave him a gentle push and reached out to steady him as Steve wobbled to his feet.<br/>
The trio watched him leave then Clint turned his attention to Bruce. “You look dead on your feet, doc. How about I get you something to eat then you can crash?”<br/>
Bruce nodded as Clint disappeared into the kitchen. He took Steve’s place on the couch beside Tony and slumped back into the cushions.<br/>
“How’s he doing?” Bruce asked, gesturing towards the elevators where Steve had disappeared.<br/>
Tony sighed and leaned back on the cushions beside his friend, “Not good.” He scrubbed his hands through his hair. “He’s in constant pain, an asthma attack is only one caught breath away, and I live in constant fear that his arrhythmia will stop his heart with no warning. No pressure Big Green, but the sooner we get him back to normal, the better.”<br/>
“Working on it.”</p><p>Ten days later Steve slipped into Tony’s lab at 2 am. Tony was sprawled on the cot he kept in the corner working on a tablet so Steve made his way over.<br/>
“Hey sugar plum,” Tony greeted, “Can’t sleep?” Steve shook his head and sat on the cot by Tony’s feet. “Worried about tomorrow?” Tony asked, nudging Steve with his foot. Steve shrugged. Tony set aside the tablet and held out his arms, wiggling his fingers. “C’mere.”<br/>
Steve sighed and shifted to lay beside Tony, resting his head on his chest and burrowing close. Tony wrapped his arms around him and dropped a kiss on the top of his head.<br/>
“Talk to me,” Tony said once they were settled.<br/>
“I don’t know if I’m more worried about what happens if the reversal works, or if it doesn’t,” Steve said quietly.<br/>
“What worries you about it not working?” Tony prompted.<br/>
“The obvious,” Steve replied. “I stay like this. Can’t be Captain America anymore, can’t be an Avenger. Stay sick and probably get sicker.”<br/>
Tony hummed. “I have some thoughts on those points.”<br/>
“You always have thoughts,” Steve snorted.<br/>
“Well I am a genius,” Tony retorted. “So you stay small. I agree you probably can’t be Cap anymore because your shield weighs as much as you do, but you could still be an Avenger.”<br/>
“I don’t see how,” Steve muttered.<br/>
“You’ve still got your brain, idiot. And I may possibly have already started thinking about making you a suit,” Tony said quietly. “Not that I think for a minute that the reversal wouldn’t work-”<br/>
“But you’re a futurist so of course you’ve thought about every possible outcome,” Steve interrupted fondly.<br/>
“Of course I have. As for your health, there have been one or two advances in medicine since you were this sick last time, and I don’t know if you know this but I’m actually a billionaire so I can get you the best healthcare money can buy.” Tony said, cuddling Steve closer.<br/>
“Best healthcare in the world can’t make me live any longer. You’ve seen my file, you know that my projected lifespan isn’t exactly long.” Steve replied.<br/>
Tony buried his face in Steve’s hair. “Yeah, I know.” They were quiet for a few moments. “What worries you about the reversal working?” Tony asked.<br/>
Steve pushed his face into Tony’s neck, “Stupid,” he muttered<br/>
“What’s stupid?”<br/>
Steve sighed, breath catching just enough to make Tony’s heart skip a beat in concern. “Bucky.”<br/>
“I agree, Bucky is frequently stupid,” Tony said, gravely.<br/>
Steve slapped at his chest ineffectually. “Idiot. He doesn’t like my Captain America body.”<br/>
“That’s because he is, as I just stated, frequently stupid,” Tony said. “Honestly, I think he’s blind. Did we have his eyes tested when he came back? I feel like we may have overlooked that. Critical things for a sniper, eyes.” Steve just huffed at him. “Yeah, alright, serious talking. I’m going to ask you a question which you don’t have to answer, but it would help me get some context if you do, ok?” Steve nodded into his neck. “Were you and Bucky anything more than friends back in the day?” Steve tensed up in his arms. Tony ran a soothing hand down his back, “I’m asking because it might explain why he’s weird around you when you’re all serumed up, that’s all.”<br/>
Steve squirmed a little in his arms, “We kissed a few times, nothing more.” He admitted. “It was a different time, was illegal for us to be together, and I was so sick all the time, then it was the war and everything changed.”<br/>
“OK, I get it. But emotionally though?”<br/>
“Emotionally, we were as good as married,” Steve whispered.<br/>
“Oh sweetheart, I’m so sorry. This is a fine mess, isn’t it?” Steve shuddered out a breath into Tony’s neck. “Why on earth are you spending your last night as a shrimp down here with me and not snuggled up with your boo?”<br/>
“Because you’ll still love me tomorrow and he won’t,” Steve sobbed out.<br/>
Tony curled around him as much as he could. “Once this is over, we are getting you both so much therapy, seriously.”</p><p>The next morning found the entire team in the elevator on the way down to Bruce’s lab. The tension was palpable. Steve was tucked under Bucky’s flesh arm but he still reached out and tangled his fingers with Tony’s, gripping on tightly and looking determinedly ahead. As they stepped out of the elevator the team surrounded him so that they spilled through the door into the lab in a slightly ungainly mass. Bruce and Hank were waiting beside a piece of machinery.<br/>
“Ready?” Bruce asked Steve.<br/>
Bucky gripped Steve tightly, tugging him infinitesimally closer. Steve was pale and Tony could feel him trembling where he gripped his hand.<br/>
“How about we give Steve and Bucky a minute?” Tony suggested.<br/>
Steve shot him a grateful look as the team plus Hank stepped out into the hallway to give them some semblance of privacy. Through the glass walls, Tony watched out of the corner of his eye as Bucky and Steve clung to each other desperately. As they separated, Bucky took hold of Steve’s chin and turned his head to bring their lips together in a tender kiss. Steve was crying as Bucky pulled away but he nodded, and Tony recognised the stubborn tilt of his head. Bucky stepped back with one final squeeze to Steve’s hand then turned to nod at Bruce.<br/>
“Here we go,” Bruce mumbled.<br/>
Bucky joined the rest of the team in the hallway to watch through the glass walls. Steve unselfconsciously shed his clothes and laid down on the cot, Bruce covered him with a blanket then, with a squeeze to Steve’s hand, stepped back so he was beside Hank. After a moment of calibration, there was a bright flash of light. Blinking back the starbursts the team watched as Steve grew in front of them, roaring with pain as his bones and muscles expanded and stretched. Bucky jolted forward as if to burst into the lab but Tony put a hand on his shoulder and he subsided. Tony could feel the tension vibrating through him. As abruptly as it started, Steve went silent and slumped back onto the cot. Bruce looked up and nodded and Bucky shot out from under Tony’s hand, squeezing through the gap in the doorway when it took too long to slide open. He was over at Steve’s side, gripping his hand tightly, by the time the rest of the team made it through the doorway.<br/>
“He OK?” Tony asked, gesturing to Steve’s prone form.<br/>
“Yeah, he might need a minute to recover but we expected that,” Bruce replied, dropping down onto a stool. “Once he wakes up we’ll need to draw blood and run a couple of tests to make sure he’s back to normal, but everything looks good so far.”<br/>
“You can say that again,” Tony said, wincing when Natasha clipped him around the back of the head. “Too soon?”</p><p>The team had gathered in the living room for an impromptu ‘welcome back’ party despite it being 10 am and Steve having gone nowhere, but that didn’t matter. Spirits were high as the team jostled over and around each other and the massive brunch that Tony had ordered as a celebration. Steve was happily ensconced on the sofa with a plate of food piled high, laughing with Clint, when Bucky sidled over to where Tony was leant against the counter watching the rest of the team.<br/>
“How are you doing, cyborg?” Tony asked when Bucky settled beside him.<br/>
“You love Steve,” Bucky said.<br/>
Tony looked at him warily, “I do.”<br/>
“I need you to help me learn to love him like this,” Bucky gestured to Steve.<br/>
“He’s the same as he always was, Buck,” Tony said carefully, “Just bigger.”<br/>
“Yeah well that’s the problem,” Bucky grunted, pushing away from the counter and disappearing towards the elevators. Tony had no idea what had just happened.</p><p>“So I had an interesting conversation with your boo earlier,” Tony said, dropping onto the couch beside Steve once the rest of the team had drifted off.<br/>
Steve dragged him close and tucked an arm over Tony’s shoulder so it rested easily on his chest. “What about?”<br/>
Tony tangled their fingers together. “Wanted me to show him how to love you now you’re all muscled again.”<br/>
Steve jolted in surprise behind him. “What?”<br/>
“Yeah, that was basically my reaction. I pointed out that you were still you, just bigger.” Tony leaned his head back onto Steve’s shoulder with a sigh. “I kind of got the impression that he thinks we’re sleeping together.”<br/>
“Huh,” Steve said. “That, uh, might explain a few things…”<br/>
“Yeah?”<br/>
Steve hummed, “We had a confusing conversation about cutting in on someone else’s patch after I tried to kiss him.”<br/>
“He seemed pretty happy kissing you in the lab,” Tony said, “Not that the whole team saw that or anything. Just an assumption.”<br/>
“Would you believe me if I told you that was the first time we’ve kissed since 1943?” Steve said quietly.<br/>
Tony turned in Steve’s hold so he could look at him. “Really? Thought he’d been all over you these last few weeks?”<br/>
“He was, just not like that.”<br/>
“Huh,” Tony said. “Did you want him to be?”<br/>
Steve flushed, “I tried, remember? Confusing conversations happened.”<br/>
Tony flipped back around to lean against Steve’s chest again. “So in summary, you and Buck were all but married until he went off to war, you got serumed and he freaked out, 70 years pass and you’re reunited, Bucky gets un-HYDRA’d and moves in, won’t touch your new self, you get shrunk and he’s all over you, your get unshrunk and he comes to me for advice about getting all up in your business. Does that cover it?”<br/>
“It sounds a bit far-fetched when you put it like that,” Steve grumbled.<br/>
“That’s because it is far-fetched! Who writes this stuff, seriously?” Tony sighed in exasperation. “So what do you want to do about it?” Steve was quiet behind him. “I can feel you blushing from here. OK, am I right to assume that you do, in fact, want to get up close and personal with our very own Terminator?”<br/>
“He hates it when you call him that,” Steve said.<br/>
“Not an answer, sugar plum.”<br/>
Steve sighed explosively behind him. “Yes, I very much do. Alright?”<br/>
“Alright. Next question, do you want me to get involved in this epic love story? Because, you know, you’re clearly doing so well on your own.”<br/>
Steve swatted at him half-heartedly. “Involved how?”<br/>
“However you want me to. We should probably start by disabusing him of the notion that I’m despoiling a national icon on the regular,” Tony said, nudging Steve in the stomach. “Hey, why aren’t we sleeping together?”<br/>
Steve shrugged behind him, jostling him a little. “Just never moved that way I guess. I like what we have.”<br/>
“Me too. Let me know if you want to add orgasms though,” Tony replied cheekily.<br/>
“Let me get things sorted with Bucky first, Romeo,” Steve said fondly.<br/>
“That wasn’t a no! I distinctly heard something that wasn’t a no!” Tony crowed.<br/>
“You’re ridiculous,” Steve huffed out as Tony waggled his eyebrows at him.</p><p>“Captain Rogers wishes to know if you can join him in his quarters, sir?” JARVIS asked, breaking Tony’s concentration.<br/>
“Did he say why?” Tony asked.<br/>
“He did not sir, but Sergent Barnes is also there.”<br/>
“Huh,” Tony looked over the tangle of wires on the workbench in front of him then down at himself. “Let him know I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”</p><p>Tony knocked on Steve’s door twenty minutes later after a quick shower. Steve opened the door looking nervous.<br/>
“Hey, what’s up?” Tony asked, immediately worried.<br/>
Steve stepped back to let him in, “Bucky and I talked. He wanted to clarify some points with you.”<br/>
“Yeah? OK,” Tony said, running a gentle hand down Steve’s arm as he moved past him into the living room. Bucky was standing by the window, arms crossed defensively. “Hey Buck,” Tony greeted, sitting on the couch with Steve perched on the other end. Bucky remained by the window. “What do you want to know?”<br/>
“Stevie said you aren’t sleeping together?” Bucky asked.<br/>
“Nope,” Tony replied.<br/>
“But you love him,”<br/>
Tony gave him the same wary look that he had in the kitchen. “I do.”<br/>
“You’re always touching each other.”<br/>
Tony looked to Steve for guidance only to find Steve staring resolutely at his own feet. “We’re a tactile bunch, I’m sure you’ve noticed. What are you getting at here?”<br/>
Bucky was still regarding him with a blank expression that reminded Tony uncomfortably of the Winter Soldier. “So you don’t have a claim on him?”<br/>
“He’s all yours, soldier. If he wants to be,” Tony confirmed.<br/>
“Oh he wants,” muttered Steve.<br/>
Tony grinned at him. “Well there you go, good talk.” Tony stood up and turned to leave, only to find Bucky had seemingly teleported to block his path with a gentle hand to his chest. Tony looked up at him, eyebrow raised.<br/>
An uncomfortable expression passed over Bucky’s face. “I don’t know how to be around him in this body.”<br/>
“I can find you the number for a sex therapist, they’ll be far more useful than me,” Tony patted Bucky on the shoulder and tried to step around him, only to be stopped by Bucky again. “What?”<br/>
“Show me how you love him?” Bucky asked.<br/>
Tony spared a moment to wonder how this, exactly, was his life, then turned to the other miserable super soldier in the room. “Really?”<br/>
Steve caught his eye briefly. “You said you’d help if you could.”<br/>
Tony sighed. “I did. I said that. OK Buckaroo, over here.”</p><p>Feeling very much out of his depth, Tony returned to the couch. Rather than keeping a polite distance as he had earlier, Tony decided to take this ridiculous pair literally. He pushed at Steve so he sat forward enough for Tony to slip in behind him to lean into the corner of the couch, then tugged him back to settle in his lap, back to chest.<br/>
“Wow, you’re bigger than you were last time we sat like this. May have miscalculated, but we’ll see how we get on,” Tony said as he wriggled them into a comfortable position. “Seriously, how are your shoulders even real?” he groused good-naturedly. Steve let himself be manhandled without complaint, tense and clearly nervous but willing to let Tony take the lead. “Buck, you’re looming, sit down somewhere.”<br/>
Bucky huffed and gingerly perched on the coffee table within arms reach of Steve and Tony. Tony nodded his approval then turned his attention back to Steve who was almost vibrating with nerves in his arms. “Hey easy, you’re safe, not going to do anything we haven’t done before honey, take a breath,” he crooned into Steve’s ear. Steve obediently took a shaky breath in and out. “That’s it, just keep doing that, you’re good.”<br/>
Tuning out Buck’s presence was easy now he had a nervous super soldier to soothe. Tony started gently stroking his hands over Steve’s arms, drawing idle patterns on his skin with his fingertips and threading their fingers together when Steve unclenched his hands. He nuzzled Steve’s temple, dropping a soft kiss on his hairline when Steve finally began to relax in his arms. “See, nothing scary, nothing new, just you and me,” Tony murmured, “Well, and Bucky, but we’re ignoring him and his murder face for now.”<br/>
Steve snorted a quiet laugh and Tony glanced over to see Bucky hastily rearranging his face into something more agreeable. Steve finally tipped his head back to rest on Tony’s shoulder, forehead resting lightly underneath his jaw, and sighed out the last of his tension.<br/>
“There we go,” Tony praised. “Do you want to hold Buck’s hand?”<br/>
Steve let go of one of Tony’s hands and held it out towards Bucky, who stared at it for a moment before taking it with his flesh hand.<br/>
“See, just the same as when he was small,” Tony said. Bucky nodded.<br/>
Tony used his newly freed hand to rub light circles on Steve’s stomach making him purr with pleasure.<br/>
“He always did like that,” Bucky said quietly. “He still like getting a back rub?”<br/>
“Oh yeah,” Tony said with a smile.<br/>
Bucky watched them for a few minutes, taking in Steve’s relaxed position and happy little hums. He seemed to come to some sort of decision, switching the hand he was holding into his metal hand and reaching out hesitantly with his flesh hand, shooting a questioning look at Tony as he gestured to Steve’s stomach.<br/>
Tony nodded, moving his hand up to stroke his fingers through Steve’s hair instead.<br/>
Steve took a sharp breath in as Bucky’s hand made contact with his torso and began to gently explore. Bucky snatched his hand back but Steve caught it before he could move away completely. “Just surprised, keep going,” he reassured Bucky who only hesitated for a moment before reaching out again.<br/>
Steve melted fully into Tony’s embrace as Bucky began to explore, his touches becoming more confident as the minutes ticked by. Tony was mesmerised watching them get to know each other again, fingers idly stroking through Steve’s hair, scratching his scalp gently. Another gasp from Steve shook him from his reverie.<br/>
“OK, honey?” he asked quietly.<br/>
Steve squirmed a little in his arms. “A little too OK,” he said, flushing as he did so.<br/>
Tony glanced down Steve’s body and smirked when he saw the problem. “Ah. I think that’s probably my cue to leave you boys to it,” he said, not even trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.<br/>
Steve turned his head to brush a kiss to Tony’s jaw. “Thank you.”<br/>
“You’re welcome,” Tony replied as he extracted himself out from behind Steve. “There are condoms and lube in the bathroom, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he said with a smirk, skipping into the elevator with a cheery wave.</p><p>Steve found him in the workshop the following evening. Tony turned to greet him and couldn’t help the grin when he took notice of Steve. “Why Captain Rogers, I do believe you’re glowing,” he teased. “Good night?”<br/>
Steve blushed but didn’t even try to stop the happy smile from covering his face. “Yeah,” he replied.<br/>
“Details, Rogers, I need details,” Tony demanded gleefully.<br/>
“A gentleman never kisses and tells,” Steve teased.<br/>
“Ah-ha! That implies there was kissing! C’mon Steve, I need details,” Tony wheedled. Steve just grinned at him. “Fine, keep your secrets, I’ll just use my imagination if you’re not going to tell all. I have quite the imagination too.”<br/>
“I’m sure,” Steve said agreeably, smile gentling as he took in his ridiculous friend. “I’d like to thank you for helping us out. I know it was a bit odd.”<br/>
“Hot as hell though,” Tony teased.<br/>
Steve rolled his eyes and tugged Tony into a hug. Tony happily cuddled into it then had a thought, “Hey, how does Bucky feel about us being all over each other?” he asked, leaning back to catch Steve’s eye. “Do I need to tone down the flirting?”<br/>
“Wouldn’t that render you mute?” Steve asked drily. “He’s happier now he knows that we’re not sleeping together but I don’t think it’s fair to be as tactile when he’s around. We’re all probably going to need a few more conversations though.”<br/>
Tony thumped his head against Steve’s shoulder and groaned. “I hate sensible conversations,”<br/>
Steve dropped an affectionate kiss to the top of his head, “Yeah I know, but I’m led to believe that communication is the key to maintaining healthy relationships.”<br/>
“Who? Who told you that? They are filled with lies and you should ignore everything they say on general principle,” Tony whined. He felt as much as heard Steve’s chuckle.<br/>
“C’mon, JARVIS says you haven’t eaten anything today. Come upstairs and let me feed you,” Steve said, squeezing Tony around the waist then stepping back.<br/>
“JARVIS is a dirty rotten traitor,” Tony grumbled but followed Steve obediently.<br/>
They joined the rest of the team in the kitchen where Clint was plating up Steve’s homemade mac and cheese. Bucky looked over and his expression softened when he saw Tony and Steve, morphing into something outright fond when Steve went over to him and kissed him hello. Catching Tony’s eye when Steve stepped back, Bucky gave him a nod of thanks. Tony toasted him with the glass of juice Natasha had handed him, happy to sit down and enjoy dinner with his family.</p>
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